VARX drivers thrilled with Memphis masterclass

Volkswagen Andretti Rallycross drivers Scott Speed and Tanner Foust were thrilled to leave the opening round of the 2017 Red Bull Global Rallycross season with a dominant one-two finish.

The team débuted the latest incarnation of their Beetle platform in Memphis and the car was an instant success, taking the top two spots in qualifying and the final, as well as three heat wins and both semi final wins.

It is something of a contrast to the all conquering Beetle of old which, despite taking back to back championships, had to wait until midway through the 2015 campaign before it really hit its stride.

“Having an almost perfect weekend like this is obviously a great way to start the season,” said Speed who took two of the team’s three heat victories as well at the overall event win. “Our whole time here was really smooth, and that doesn’t just happen by accident. Lots of hard work made this possible, so I’ve got to give a shoutout to everyone at Andretti and Volkswagen who made this result possible.”

Despite being the clear class leaders after a dominant 2016 campaign, both Andretti Autosport in the United States and Volkswagen Motorsport in Europe worked flat out developing a new car for this season. The car was tested on both sides of the Atlantic, with as many as 13 VW engineers reportedly flying over for every single test Stateside.

“The whole team just worked this off-season. We put in the work, and when we wanted to stop we worked some more,” he added. “When you show up to the first race and you put this kind of performance down, it just makes all that work worthwhile.”

After qualifying behind Speed, Foust settled into second place behind the ex-Formula 1 driver for much of the event but was equally positive about the team’s performance.

“I’m super excited for the whole team with a result like this” said Foust. “After qualifying in second, and with Scott putting in some amazing Heats, you just have to grab onto those heels and hang on. Overall, this was a great performance on a tricky track, so I’m very proud of this team and the hard work that’s paid off today.”